Illuminated advertising device for cash registers



Oct. 31, 1939. R. VENTING ILLUMINATED ADVERTISING DEVICE FOR CASHREGISTERS Filed Dec. 16, 1957 Patented oct. 3'1, 1939 PATENT OFFICEILLUMINATED AD'VERTISING DEVICE FOR CASH REGISTERS Royce Venting,London, England, assgnor to Victor Advertisements Limited,Southend-on-Sea, England, 'a joint stock company of limited 1iability ofEngland Application December 16, 1937, Serial No. 180,120 In GreatBritain January 9, 1937 2 Claims.

This invention is designed to provide electrically illuminatedadvertising devices or signs for cash registers of the well known type,such as at present in general use, having a reciprocatory slidable cashdrawer (arranged to be opened and closed for each cash transaction)k andhaving a key or keys for operating cash recording mechanism which latter(a) indicates the amount of each transaction, and (b) shows the totalamount of a series of such transactions, the operation of the key orkeys for each cash transaction serving to release the cash drawer.

According to the present invention a frame or casing .made for exampleof metal adapted to carry or to have mounted therein or thereon a glassplate or plates or other transparent or translucent sheet or sheetscarrying thereon the advertisement vor advertisements or matter to beilluminated, are mounted and secured on the body of the Said cashregister and advantageously mounted on and secured to the top of suchcash register; and one or moreelectric lamps iswbr are mounted inelectric lamp sockets provided to receive and hold said lamp or lamps inthe interior of ysaid frame or casing carrying the advertisements sothat the advertisement or other matter to be illuminated is situatedbetween said lamp or lamps and the observer or observers.

An advertising device or sign adapted to be electrically illuminated,for use in conjunction with a cash register of the kind referred to,comprises, according to this invention, a casing or frame formed ofrigid material, such for example as metal, adapted to be mounted on theexterior of the cash register, said casing having a glass or othertranslucent plate or sheet or plates or sheets bearing the advertisingmatter to be displayed when illuminated, one or more electric lampsockets on the inside of the casing for hol-ding an electric lamp orlamps to illuminate said advertising matter to be displayed, and aswitch connected with said sockets and adapted to be attached to thecash register for operation by the drawer thereof in such a manner as tobe closed and thereby illuminate said adverk tising matter to bedisplayed only when the drawer is open.

Furthermore, an electric switch is provided within or on the main casingof the cash register and arranged and mounted in such wise as to beoperated (a) in one direction by a spring (to immediately close the lampcircuit) as the drawer is opened and (b) in the opposite direction bythe inner end of the drawer (as the latter is being closed) to therebybreak the lamp circuit.

Conveniently the switch is so positioned with relation to the drawer inthe cash register that the path traversed by theswitch arm for makingand breaking the circuit is in the path traversed by the drawer. Inlsuch a construction reciprocal movement may be imparted to the switcharm by means of a rod carrying anabutment adapted to engage the end ofthe switch arm, when the rod is moved longitudinally, for example, bypressure of the back end of the drawer against the end of the rod inopposition to a spring whichrestores the rod to its original positionkon release of pressure of the closed drawer.

One particular construction in accordance with this invention will nowbe described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l shows in yperspective an electrically il- I luminated advertisingdevice xed on the top of a cash register partly shown in outline,together with the electrical connections to a plug and to a switch fixedto the inside of the casing of the-cash register at the back of thedrawer, a side View ofthe inner end of the drawer and the switch inposition being included in outline.

Fig. 2 shows a method of connecting two electric lamps for illuminatingthe sign with a plug on the one hand and a switch on the other.

Fig. 3 shows a front view of the cash register in broken outline withthe illuminated sign in position.

Fig. 4 shows (on an enlarged scale) ldetails of the switch in section.

Fig. 5 shows a vertical cross section ofthe casing.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing:

The illuminated sign consists of a simple casing I0 with a translucentglass side I I bearing an advertising device and containing insideelectric lamps I2. The lamps I2 are connected to a wall plug through aswitch I3 (Fig. 4) attached to a bracket I4 which is screwed on to acover plate l5 fixed t0 the inside of the back of the casing of the cashregister by means oianother cover plate IS on the outside of the casingand bolts I1. A rod I8 is supported horizontally by bearings IS in theupright portion of the bracket I4 and the cover plates I5 and I6.

The illuminated sign consists of a casing I0 provided at its lower partwith dependent flange IIlI adapted to embrace the upper part of a cashregister which is indicated in chain dotted lines in Fig. 1. Within thecasing Il) and adjacent to the ends thereof are plates |92 on which aremounted electric lamp sockets I2I each adapted to hold within the casingan electric incan-descent filament lamp I2 with its aXis generallyhorizontal. The lamp sockets I2! are wired in parallel and are connectedto a wall plug through a switch I3 (Fig. 4) attached to a bracket I4which is screwed on to a cover plate I5 xed to the inside of the back ofthe casing of the cash register by means of another cover plate I6 onthe outside of the casing and bolts Il. A rod I8 is supportedhorizontally by bearings i9 in the upright portion of the bracket Id andthe cover plates I5 and I6.

The switch arm 2l in making and breaking moves reciprocally in a pathperpendicularly below the axis of the rod I8. The outer end 23 of theswitch arm is provided with a groove or hollow at right angles to thedirection of movement of the switch arm 22, the depth of the groove orhollow being such that when the switch arm is in an upright position thebottom of the hollow roughly coincides with the end of the collar 20.

The end of the rod I8 abutting on the end of the drawer is provided witha rubber buffer 2E fixed thereon by means of a screw 25 provided withlock nuts 2G to adjust the buffer to the re- -quired position.

In operation, when the drawer of the cash 'register` is pushed home toits closed position the end of the drawer bears against the buifer 2f,pushes the rod I8 in a longitudinal direction which carries the collar2B towards the cover 'plate I5 and compresses the spiral spring 2Iagainst the cover plate l5. In its passage towards the cover plate I5'the collar 2D engages one side of the groove 23 in the end of theswitch arm 22 and carries the switch arm over into the off position ofthe switch. When the drawer `is opened, the release of the pressure onthe buffer 211 enables the spring 2I to expand and push the collar 2Ginto engagement with the opposite side of the groove 23 of the switcharm 22, which latter is then moved over to the on Alternatively thecasing andj l. For attachment to the top of a cash register, anelectrically illuminable sign including a frame comprising a flangedplate in the form of an inverted U and constituting top and end walls ofsaid frame and having the bottom part provided with a surroundingdependent flange adapted to embrace the top of the cash register formounting the casing thereon, a pair yof vertical supports arrangedwithin the casing and parallel to and adjacent the end walls thereof, anelectric lamp socket mounted on the inner face of each such support, andflat panels closing the open faces of said frame, at least one of saidpanels being of translucent material and bearing display matter.

2. For attachment to the top of a cash register, an electricallyilluminable sign including a casing comprising a flanged plate in theform of an inverted U and constituting top and end walls of said casingand a bottom part provided with a surrounding dependent flange andadapted to embrace the top of the cash register for mounting the casingthereon, a pair of vertical supports arranged within the casing parallelto and adjacent the end walls thereof, an electric lamp socket mountedon the inner face of each such support and flat panels closing the openfaces of said casing, at least one of said panels being of translucentmaterial and bearing display matter.

ROYCE VENTING.

